


Making Room in the Closet

by Alidravana



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Fluff, Healthy Relationships, Insecurity, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, post-episode 2x04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29390553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alidravana/pseuds/Alidravana
Summary: TK is still feeling insecure about his relationship with Carlos.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 7
Kudos: 190





	Making Room in the Closet

Immediately right after 2x04…

After that heart-rending conversation, Carlos had invited him to stay the night and TK eagerly accepted. Their love-making that evening wasn’t wild and rough like it often was, but tender and gentle. Carlos took TK apart and put him back together again, twice. As TK laid in bed with Carlos’ strong arms wrapped around him, he could feel his insecurities melt away as he fell asleep.

*****

TK had assumed that he and Carlos would simply fall back into their normal routines. Carlos would drop him off at the station with a good-bye kiss, they'd occasionally grab lunch together or see each other on a call, and then they would chill at Carlo's with the occasional date in between. And that they would just keep Carlo's family separate for the timing being.

But when Carlos dropped him off at the station this morning, it was TK who didn't lean into the driver's window for a kiss on the way in or say anything particularly flirty. He was going to, but then second-guessed his actions. Instead TK told Carlos to be safe, waved goodbye, and headed on into the station. 

He sighed with relief when no one else was in the locker room yet. He needed a couple of minutes to get his head on straight. The way Carlos said that he didn't want to 'rub his parents' noses in this' was still bothering TK. 

From the moment TK came out to his parents and out of the closet, he never looked back. He didn't hide his sexuality from his friends, his co-workers, or his family. He considered himself to be a very affectionate boyfriend - he liked holding hands, hugging, cuddling and so forth, both in public and in private.

But what if that was making Carlos uncomfortable? Was TK too far out of the closet? Too loud and too proud? He wasn't sure. And he wasn't sure how to find out either.

*****

So TK pulled back. All week, he didn't flirt with Carlos on any crossover calls, he didn't hold his hand when they went out for dinner, and he ducked an invite to go to a local club. He was still affectionate at Carlo's place, when it was just the two of them, but that was it. 

TK was miserable. He was constantly doubting his actions, worried that he was either doing too much and that would drive Carlos away or that he was doing too little and that would also drive Carlos away. 

Like right now, the two of them were watching a movie with Paul, Marjan, and Mateo at Carlos's place. Normally TK would have tucked himself right next to Carlos with some snacks and cuddled, but instead he sat on a separate chair by himself.

Everyone else had picked up on the oddness as well. Paul kept shooting him wary looks, Marjan kept inviting him over on the couch, saying that they had lots of room to squeeze him in, and Mateo, well Mateo kept watching the movie. And Carlos didn't know what to do.

When the three firefighters finally left for the night, Carlos turned to see TK crying softly on the chair. Quickly walking over to his boyfriend, Carlos knelt on the floor next to his seat. "Ty, what's wrong?" He asked, placing a hand on TK's bouncing knee.

"Am I too much?" TK asked, finally forcing himself to ask the question he had been avoiding. 

Carlos was lost. He was completely confused. "Too much what Ty?"

"Too gay? Too clingy?" TK filled in the blanks. He wrapped his arms around himself, still continuing to cry. Alex had said often that he needed to give him more space, to not be on top of him all the time. 

"No," Carlos said firmly, managing to squeeze himself next to TK on the chair. It was a tight fit, but he made it work. Sliding an arm around TK, in hopes of helping him calm down and to also not fall off the chair, Carlos asked "What made you think that? Did someone say something?"

Wiping his tears with the back of his sleeve, TK looked right into Carlos's eyes. "You said that you didn't want to rub your parents' noses in this," TK said quietly, motioning between the two of them. "I thought," TK faltered for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I thought you were saying that I was being too much?" 

"Oh no, TK, that's not what I meant at all," Carlos replied, a frown appearing on his face. "I'm sorry, babe, I didn't mean that that way at all." Here he was, hurting TK again. But he owed it to him to explain further. "I've never introduced a boyfriend to them. I've never talked about going on a date or meeting someone new. We've never talked about anything remotely gay related. That's what I meant TK."

Carlos paused, taking TK's hands in his. "TK, I love you for being you. And I've missed the real you this past week. I've missed all your kisses, and hugs, and cuddles. And I'm sorry for making you feel otherwise."

TK looked back at Carlos, relief flooding through his body. He reached out and gave Carlos a big hug, burrowing himself up against his boyfriend's chest. "Thanks," TK said simply, feeling all warm and safe in Carlos's arms. Now, everything felt normal again.


End file.
